Put your money where the best phone is
Smartphones are the biggest item on your tech budget. On the long run, you pay more on your phone than any other gadget for purchasing and subscription costs, so it makes sense to know what you are getting into.
The most popular phones are Apple iPhones running on iOS and Androidbased OS phones.
Here is the best of the best and why. Prices are based on TELUS, Rogers and Bell with a two-year plan and are cheaper on smaller cellcos using the “tab” subscription. All these models have equal or better screen quality to the iPhone’s Retina display and the fastest mobile LTE connection.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3: $299, doubles as a small tablet on its bright and sharp 5.7-inch touchscreen. It comes with the S Pen. It has the best 13 MP camera and lens for most photo situations, shoots and outputs 4K video for UHD TV, and takes additional micro SD memory.
iPhone 5S: starting at $229, simply the best designed. It has the best performing quality 8 MP camera, especially in poor light, as does its video. The widest choice of apps and a seamless iCloud backup/ storage system that works with all Apple devices. On a budget? The iPhone 5c starts at $129 with a range of funky colours and matching cases.
NEXUS 5: $349/16 GB or $399/32GB direct from http://www.google.ca/ nexus/5/ unlocked or Rogers $99 with plan. Designed by Google in partnership with LG it has 2.2GHz Quad-Core processing power, and is first to run the new Android 4.4 KitKat OS. The 8 megapixel beats all other Androids, making the NEXUS 5 the biggest bang for your buck for a tier one phone.
LG G2: $99, is full of smart ideas, like uniquely placed buttons in the upper centre back. Built-in IRQuickRemote can control your stereo and TV while putting the phone up to your ear answers the call. It also boasts a longer battery life.
HTC One mini: $99, a younger sibling to the HTC. The opening screen features a magazine-like BlinkFeed. Zoe can slap a short music video together with cool edits from a group of photos and videos you take and share it online. The BoomSound speakers are awesome for watching movies on the smaller but sharp HD screen.
Sony Xperia Z1: $199, available at Bell, is the toughest phone here. It’s waterproof (1.5 meters) and dust resistant and features a 20.7 MP camera approaching point and shoot picture quality. Timeshift burst shoots 61 images in two seconds before and after pressing the shutter catching the right image.
Motorola Moto-X: $150, has an additional voice control feature on top of Android’s, which allows for more hands-free commands. Saying “I want to go home” will show driving directions from wherever you are. Twisting your wrist instantly turns the camera on.
Just in…Motorola Moto-G: $200 outright (yes) at TELUS/Koodo is for the budget minded but has all the features, slightly watered down, of phones costing three times as much. It has an edge-toedge 4.5-inch HD display, Snapdragon quad-core chip, 4.3 Jelly Bean OS upgradable to Kit Kat early 2014 and 20 of the cool Moto App features similar to the Moto-X.